Good Friends Are Always Ready To Help You
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: When an official's words make Red Alert not refuel or recharge properly, Optimus and Ratchet must step in to help the paranoid bot. Done as a request for EmeraldMoonGreen. :)


**EmeraldMoonGreen asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)**

 **Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro. I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Good Friends Are Always Ready To Help You**

Red Alert blinked his eyes sleepily, but forced himself to stay awake during this meeting with Agent Fowler and the lady spy that was with him. Ever since the meeting with the government official almost two weeks ago, the Autobot hadn't been recharging or refueling properly because of the words the government official had spoken. He had told Red Alert that the 'Bots and the humans didn't need a psycho, paranoia-driven Autobot around them and that he needed to take care of his paranoia or he'd be useless.

He was hiding his tiredness from everyone, but the lady spy noticed that he looked tired and as she was standing near Magnus, she gently got his attention and indicated to Red Alert. "Is he alright?" She asked in a soft whisper.

She got her answer a moment later when a crash sounded out and they saw Red Alert had fallen out of his chair and was passed out on the floor. Ratchet instantly jumped up to check on him and didn't like what he saw. "Optimus, can you help me get him to the med bay?" He asked.

The leader instantly nodded and looked at Agent Fowler, who nodded. "We can conclude this meeting another time," he said.

"Is he going to be okay?" The lady spy asked worriedly.

"Red Alert will be alright after he gets a bit of rest," said Ratchet reassuringly.

The two left and Optimus and Ratchet team-lifted Red Alert and got him to the med bay, where the medic did more thorough scans and his eyes widened. "His Energon levels are low and he's showing too much fatigue," he said.

Optimus was shocked. "You mean, he hasn't been recharging enough and refueling properly?" He asked.

"That's what it looks like," Ratchet said.

A small groan alerted them that Red Alert was regaining conscious and the 'Bot sat up, rubbing his helm before facing the stern face of Ratchet. "Red Alert, your Energon levels are low and you haven't been recharging enough," he said. "How long have you not had a proper rest or had a proper refuel?"

The medic's voice brooked no room for denial, but the paranoid bot refused to speak. He instead looked away, but his whole body sagged with fatigue. Ratchet was about to demand an answer when Optimus placed a hand on the medic's shoulder and leaned closer to his friend's audio. "Perhaps another approach?" He suggested in a whisper. "One that will guarantee an answer?"

Ratchet looked at Optimus, who gestured towards Red Alert and looked back at Ratchet. "His knees," he whispered to the medic.

Seeing where Optimus was going with this, the orange-and-white mech smiled and nodded. "I'll need some help," he said in a whisper as well.

"Then allow me."

Red Alert heard someone coming closer and saw it was Optimus. He flinched slightly as his leader reached for him, but the larger 'Bot just picked him up before sitting down on the medical berth and securing the paranoid 'Bot in his lap, wrapping his strong arms around Red Alert while Ratchet took his place by the trapped Autobot's knees. Seeing this, the poor bot began struggling when he realized what was about to happen. "No, please, don't do it," he pleaded, still struggling.

"Aww, are your little knees just too ticklish? Hmm?" Ratchet asked, softening his voice to a teasing tone that he might use with a sparkling or the kids. "Who has sensitive knees? Hmm?"

A tiny smile formed on Red Alert's face at Ratchet's playful teasing, but the other two would have missed it if they hadn't been looking for it. The medic smiled at that and was about to tickle the trapped bot's knees before getting an idea and deftly moved his fingers to behind Red Alert's knees and carefully loosened some of the armor before smirking and wiggling his fingers into the wires underneath the knee armor. The poor 'Bot jumped before a laugh-filled scream left his mouth and he continued to scream in laughter as Ratchet continued tickling those wires, which ticked much worse than the usual tickling on his knees.

Optimus chuckled at this before leaning his mouth close to Red Alert's audio. "Well, well, look at those ticklish knees," he whispered to him. "You're quite ticklish, hmm? Tickle, tickle, tickle!"

Those whispered words made the trapped 'Bot laugh louder and harder, unable to squirm away as Ratchet then gently removed the armor from both Red Alert's knees and wrapped one arm around his legs to keep them still as his hands now tickled the exposed protoform. Optimus adjusted his hold on Red Alert just in time as he began squealing like a newborn sparkling and laughing hysterically. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" Ratchet teased him.

"Laugh, little Red Alert," Optimus cooed softly in the poor 'Bot's audio, which only resulted in their victim laughing more.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHO! PLEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEASE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Red Alert begged them.

"Nope," Ratchet said with a grin. "Unless you answer my earlier question, Optimus and I are going to tickle you silly."

"I might even join in on that ticklish stomach of yours," Optimus said teasingly.

Red Alert let out a squeal. "NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" He pleaded. "OKAY! OKAY! IT'S BEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEN ALMHOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOST TWOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOO WEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEKS!"

Seeing it had only taken the poor 'Bot five minutes to tell them what was wrong after Ratchet had begun tickling at the protoform under his knees, the two instantly stopped. Red Alert began gasping for air, trying to recover from the tickle torture. "Red Alert, why have you been cutting your recharges short and not refueling properly?" The leader of the Autobots asked while still keeping a secure, gentle hold on the paranoid 'Bot.

Red Alert regained his breath. "The official we met with two weeks ago," he said, yawning a little as the tickle torture had worn him out. "He told me…the Autobots didn't need a paranoia-driven bot and I'd be useless unless I got my paranoia under control."

Ratchet ground his teeth as he remembered that official. "He was rather rude," he said. "But still, why didn't you tell us?"

"Because he was right in a way," the bot admitted.

"No, he wasn't," Optimus said firmly. "Red Alert, I value all of my teammates, no matter what quirks they might have. You are a valuable teammate that has proven yourself in combat more times than I can count."

"And we don't mind your paranoia," Ratchet said. "We know it's a part of you and many times your paranoia alerted us if danger was nearby."

Their reassuring words helped the tired bot, who they could see was trying to stay awake and they both chuckled at that, Ratchet bringing over a cube of Energon and gently holding Red Alert's head up and holding the cube to Red Alert's mouth, which the poor bot drank gratefully, finishing off the entire cube before Optimus began gently rubbing the red horns, which made Red Alert practically melt and become a limp, purring puddle in his leader's lap.

Chuckling, the leader of the Autobot's lifted his tired companion with ease and carried the red and white 'Bot to his quarters with Ratchet behind him and Optimus set Red Alert down on the berth, tucking him in and rubbing his horns gently while Ratchet gently injected a small amount of a sleeping formula into Red Alert's systems, to which the tired 'Bot looked at him. "It's just something to help you sleep," he said reassuringly.

"Also, I'm giving you permission to take it easy tomorrow," Optimus said. "You can resume your duties day after tomorrow."

Red Alert looked at them gratefully. "Thank you," he said softly before the sleeping formula, along with Optimus still gently rubbing the sensitive horns, made him close his eyes and his head gently lolled to the side as he fell deeply asleep.

Optimus and Ratchet quietly left. "I'm going to ask Fowler to make sure that official doesn't come back," Optimus said. "The last thing we need is this happening to one of the others."

The medic nodded in reply, fully agreeing with him.

* * *

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


End file.
